Amended training for injuries.

Neil R

A few years ago I tore my pec/rotator cuff etc & dislocated my shoulder whilst training. For several months I couldn't train and since then I have always been more cautious when training chest than other bodyparts.
I have now found a way of training my chest that is enabling me to train it hard and get results. I now utilise more isolation movements and a more partial range of motion whilst actually working out, and have separate stretching sessions for the whole shoulder complex. My chest (over the last 9-12 months) has started to respond and is slowly catching up to the rest of my body.
This leads me to my question has anyone else had to modify their workouts due to a serious injury? and if so How?
I Know Bodyworks has also torn a pec as we chatted about it at the Uk in 2004. But has anyone else suffered training altering injuries of any sort?

Hopefully, together we can help each other to make gains inspite of incapacities that might otherwise hold us back.

As my signiture says "Applied knowledge is Power"
So lets help enpower each other!!

LeeB

not an injury as such... but ive always had poor biceps... my back and shoulders seem to compensate alot for the weight im handling...

theyre are now coming along nicely... ive found that the following helps target the muscle much more directly!!

1 - ALWAYS start my bicep workout with an isolation movement - no set amount of sets and reps... just till i get a really good pump

2 - compound movements are now done only for high reps (low reps done seem to bear much fruit for biceps)

3 - i do alot more sets (volume) with probably slightly lighter weights in order to make sure im fully stimulating the muscle!

like i say.. not an injury.. more an imbalance... but its how ive adapted things to get the best results!

BigAndyJ

I switched from back squats to front squats after I injured my lower back doing deadlifts.

Gazz

I Know Bodyworks has also torn a pec as we chatted about it at the Uk in 2004. But has anyone else suffered training altering injuries of any sort?


I think the worst training altering injury ive sustained was a ruptured blood vessel in the back of my head/neck from training rear neck muscles with a plate.I could'nt lift a thing without getting the most excruciating headache.It knocked me into the sidelines for 3 months.I just had to ride it out until it healed.I was gutted,just reached my peak!

Wrist,elbow and back injuries have ruined things for me in the past aswell and ive got a sore shoulder socket at present.Resting is your only option is'nt it?Mother Nature was having a lazy day when she created mankinds ligaments,lol.

LeeB

i also have sometihng called jumpers knees.. basically my quads are too tight and need to be stretched regularly.. for years my quads have been pulling too hard on the tendons they are attached to leading to lots and lots of inflamation and pain - at one point even walking up and down the stairs was extremely painful....

after intensive physio etc. a year and a half later they are now much better... i cant squat heavy any more... but have found that if i squat on a smith machine and place my feet forward of my shoulders it takes the pressure off the knees and i can squat reasonable weights with excellent form!

i actually trained legs this morning and my training partner wanted to do free squats... so i said ill give it a go.... i left dejected as i managed 3 plates a side... but had to stop - the weight was light but every rep i could feel my knees pulling and couldnt feel a thing on my quads!

Gazz

Thats pretty rough Lee.Fair play for fighting through it mate.

I would give anything to go for a good old night time jog but i can't do more than half a click without being struck down with near crippling shin splints.Ive test driven more pairs of trainers than my wallet would dare to admit but i just can't find a way around it! :-(

Pikey

The worst one is a torn pec as anyone who’s seen me will have noticed, I too can’t shift close to the weight I did before for Chest or Shoulders, I pretty much had to learn how to use that are again because using dumbbells I would think I was using symmetrical form but the weight would be tracking a different arc and would have similar problems with a bar. I now prefer isolation movements first and finish with compounds, its 15 years ago and I’m still cautious when I go anything like heavy.

I’ve had loads of smaller injuries and normally just work around them, my approach to training has changed over the years, I used to go as heavy as I could and did my best to be the strongest in the gym, and I’ve at last understood the mind muscle link. I’m sure this approach has taken a lot of strain off of my joints and connective tissue and improved what I was trying to achieve all along stimulating muscle growth.

Gazz

How did you do that exactly Pikey and how long did it take to heal?

I know an old bodybuilder who detached his bicep from gross over training,he never used that arm again!

razg

I don't have any serious injuries, however i'm still relatively young (22). However having trained for around 7 years now, I have learned the following things.

1) Balance is key, if you train one group of muscles to the exclusion of others, the imbalance will come to bite you in the ass. I developed horrible posture from doing mainly chest work and no back exercises - I could bench 100kg when I was 16, but couldn't do a pull-up (and had no idea what a deadlift was).

2) If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. One thing we all differ in is biomechanics - for me, decline chest work just feels unnatural at the shoulder joint. Some people love it, but I avoid it at all costs. Similarly if you're really tall, trying to be a champion deadlifter may be a bad idea.

3) Flexibility counts for a lot. This has to be the most recent thing i've learned. I had always taken the view that if you use full ROM and train sensibly, stretching isn't really important. That was until my AC joint tightened up to the point I could barely use my shoulder without impingement - fortunately I had no major problems (thanks to seeing an ART therapist - highly recommended), and I have learned my lesson. I'm now absolutely religious about stretching, and i'm seeing great improvements in terms of posture and ability to lift. Another important thing is that flexibility is very important for joint health.

I could ramble on with anecdotes all day - we all know the common sense ones - warm up, don't lift heavier than you can control, keep good form - although common sense is often far from common.

Gazz

Nice post and its great to see you quote the above.Too many young fella's these days just want the big guns and the big pecs.My locals full of 'em.When i point out to them that they have'nt done legs or abs they say,"oh i don't do them Gazz,waste of time"!

Legs are your base of strength.Abs and lower back are your core.If they are weak,YOU are weak.The rest is a bonus imo!